Ghanaian dialysis patients are facing a dire financial burden, with treatment costs averaging around $800 per month — a sum many cannot afford in a country where basic needs often remain unmet, businessman Seidu Agongo has revealed.
Highlighting the severity of the situation during a donation ceremony at the Ministry of Health in Accra, where he fulfilled a GHS500,000 (approximately $42,000) pledge to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Mr Agongo said it was this hefty financial burden that hovered above dialysis patients that pushed him to donate.
Dialysis, a life-sustaining treatment for patients with kidney failure, costs around GHS700 per session in Ghana.
Most patients require three sessions each week — a monthly total of about GHS8,400.
“In a developing country where people hardly get food to eat, this is a significant strain,” Mr Agongo observed. “That is why I see this programme as one that truly resonates with the grassroots and deserves all our support.”
Mr Agongo, who is also the founder and CEO of Alive Industries and operates a dialysis centre, stressed the connection between public health and economic productivity. “As a businessman, my business only flourishes in a healthy environment. We all need access to proper healthcare.”
He made the donation alongside his management team, describing the Medical Trust Fund as “a programme that touches the very foundation of the Ghanaian people.”
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund, launched under former President John Dramani Mahama and dubbed Mahama Cares, was set up to support citizens who cannot afford critical medical services such as dialysis.
Mr Agongo thanked the Minister of Health and acknowledged the former president’s role in initiating the programme, saying: “This is not for his own sake, but for the citizens of Ghana.”
The Minister of Health, present at the event, praised Alive Industries for its support. “We are so grateful, and we know this is not just corporate social responsibility. It’s a true gesture of national solidarity,” he said.
The government is urging more individuals and institutions to support the fund, as the number of patients in need of long-term dialysis continues to rise.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
